Who is an Indian?

I have always heard different answers from different people with different opinions.. Britishers claimed that Indo-Aryans were invaders who came and pushed indigenous darker people deep south.. other scholars believe that even Dravidians are not original inhabitants of this great country and they too had migrated into the sub-continent albeit earlier than the Indo-Aryans.. And then, there are others who claim that the only true inhabitants of this massive sub-continent are the tribal people who survive today only in small pockets..

But which of these is the right answer? Which of these groups can be called as the true representative Indians?  Boggles your mind doesn't it? So many 'possible' answers to a simple query.. sometimes we might think is it even worth the effort? But it is important to find an answer to this question as the answer defines our identity..

That we Indians are of mixed origins is quite obvious from the way we look. Our features vary from Caucasoid in the north to Mongoloid in the east and Negroid in the south.. Not to mention the aboriginal tribes whose features are quite different from everyone else in the country..

 All this is bound to raise questions about us being of a common background and the attempt to find an answer to this question becomes all the more significant in the light of current regionalist and separatist political agendas..

Since 2003 an extraordinary government-funded collaboration has taken place between seven leading scientific institutions in India. The Indian Genome Variation Consortium as it is called has conducted the largest-ever study on genetic variations in India on the basis of population. They have been banded together by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to discover who or what exactly is an Indian!

 

 

The study is still on but early findings are dramatic and will have an impact on many fields of human knowledge, not merely genetics.. Indian geneticists argue emphatically that there may not have ever been an 'Aryan Invasion' that was previously believed to have changed the course of early Indian history!

This theory has already been rejected by many archaeologists on the basis of latest evidences such as the discovery of the dry bed of ancient river Saraswati (4500 BCE), use of Astronomy to date the scriptures, and relics found in excavations at places like Dwarka in India (8500 BCE) and Mehrgarh in Pakistan (7500 BCE)..

According to two major studies in collaboration with American and Asian Universities, all conventional theories about the so called invasion from the north are set to be beaten for good. The results indicate that early African migrations saw India become a melting pot of genetic diversity. Our present genetic diversity evolved as waves of initial settlers in the central regions moved towards both north as well as south of the country, all the time intermixing and migrating to other countries..

It is astonishing to learn that inside Indian DNA there are traces of every human race! Before polarizing ourselves around linguistic, ethnic and caste groups, we belonged to an old family of wanderers.. According to the study all known genetic branches are found in India and at high diversity which means that it was from India that genetic seeds were spread to the rest of the world!! Andaman islanders, amongst the oldest Indians, are direct descendants of those ancient African migrants 50,000 years ago. These tribes scientists say, hold the clue to not just who were the earliest Indians but also the origin of man itself!

These findings are bound to lead to much debate, because it will shake up many preconceived notions, most certainly about the caste hierarchies and would help to improve the understanding about Indians in the times to come :)

The Inheritance of Loss

'Sorrows can not be wished away in life; Grief and loss accumulate like possessions in a life fully lived..'

Have been thinking a lot about loss lately, perhaps coz have been witnessing a lot of it around.. Even when my personal grief threatens to engulf me, somehow m feeling more affected by the pain m seeing around me.. perhaps when u are in an emotionally sensitive condition urself, its easier to perceive others' pain and recognize their bravery in dealing with it.. 

What does the loss of a loved one mean; one who left you on the high road after swearing to be with you for eternity.. Is that loss greater than the loss of a firstborn child? Is it greater than the loss of your means of livelihood? Is it greater than the suffocating feeling of being trapped in a place from where you can never escape to fulfill ur destiny? I ask myself a lot of questions these days and my recent travels to the interiors of Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu have helped clear my head remarkably!
 

The impossibly pink mango orchards and lush green paddy fields in Tamil Nadu and the hardy Jowar fields in Rajasthan cudn't have presented a more severe contrast to my eyes! But to my heart, they gave the same message, the message of hope and healing and I was amazed by the bravery of the people surviving in these lands..

From tribals with African features in the remotest parts of the south to exquisitely Aryan, green-eyed hardy farmers tanned in the Thar sun, one message that got delivered loud and clear was of man's resilience to whatever life throws at him..

Even with the lack of infrastructure, lack of basic amenities and lack of education they face, their spirits are still unfettered and free to go where life takes them.

The way these village women reacted when we taught them the use of mobile phones, the way children learnt it in two minutes and told their mothers they could learn from them, the way their husbands looked on with tears in their eyes; I felt as if i was a part of something much bigger than me.. From the Aapams and Paniyarams in Thirupathur to the Bajre ki roti and Nimbu Achaar in Bissau, I found only love in the hands and hearts that fed me..

There is hope in everything that we do.. whether it is the small act of giving alms to a beggar, or the experience of raising a child; whether its the satisfaction of saving for your future or initiating dialogue with the enemy country; whether its the beginning of someone's married life, or the rebuilding of the devastated Taj hotel..

All our acts, small or large are an effort to make things better, to improve someone's future, to improve Our own future..

The feeling of hope further intensified when my friend and his wife (who had lost their firstborn child the previous year), named their newborn baby 'Pratham'-The first one.. for them the past tragedy had ceased to exist and the months of grieving the loss of ur first child seemed to be from some other lifetime..

What a way to focus on what's present in life today and not brood over what could have been.. What a way to forget the nightmares of a previous night and look forward to greet a new morning..

Let there be Peace in our Minds and Hearts and Souls

Finally began Working :P

So I was finally able to take a decision on which company to join and have taken the plunge :) Yeah m a working guy now.. fresh to the perks and incentive system as well as the rat race that's present in today's corporate culture!! I always saw around me people going to work, coming from work, and running all around generally.. and now I am a part of them!!
 

And as strange as it may seem to my friends who know me as a lazy bum, I am actually enjoying the responsibility and hard work! It feels good to be able to do things the way you want and in the process, also contribute to the general upliftment of marginalized sections of the society!!

The project aims at providing Healthcare facilities to rural populations in remote parts of Rajasthan and it feels good to be a part of such a project where I can contribute to the society while earning for myself.

The team is supportive and the work is interesting. Hope this status quo continues ahead.
Here's to a New Beginning :)

The Golden Days of Bachpan!!

Recently, recieved this forward mail from a friend which got me reminiscing about the golden old days we had in our childhood. How did one really survive growing up in the 80's and 90's?

We had no seat-belts, no airbags and sitting in the back of a truck was a treat… Our baby prams had the most gorgeous lead based colors(!) and we had no such thing as tamper proof bottle tops… Opening kitchen cupboards was a breeze as safety locks were unheard of! We loved being let loose in the big bad world without bodyguards…

Cycling was like a breath of fresh air… No safety helmets, knee pads or elbow pads, with plenty of cardboards between spokes to make it sound like a motorbike ;) We were fearless on our bicycles even when the brakes failed going downhill… We were showing off how tough we are, by how high we could climb trees & then jumping down..

When thirsty we only drank tap water, bottled water was unheard of and the idea of paying for water was alien to us! We kept busy collecting stamps, coins and other bits & pieces so we could build all sort of things… We could stay out to play for hours, as long as we got back before dark, in time for dinner…

We had no mobile phones, but we always managed to find each other…. How? No one knows… We ate everything in sight, cakes, bread, chocolate, ice-cream, sweet sugary drinks, yet, we stayed skinny by fooling around. And if one of us was lucky to find a 1 litre coca cola bottle we all had a swag from it & guess what? Nobody picked up any germs!!

If we failed our exams we were given a second chance by simply repeating the same grade…without visiting psychiatrists, psychologists or counselors…We did not have Play Stations, MP3, Nintendo's, I-Pods, Video games, 99 Cable TV channels, DVD's, Home Cinema, Mobile phones, Home Computers, Laptops, Chat-rooms, Internet, etc. BUT, we had REAL FRIENDS!!!!

When we called on them to come out to play, noone ever rang the doorbell, we just went around the back… We played with sticks and stones, played doctor and patient, hide and seek, snakes and ladders, monopoly over and over again…

Sundays were spent watching Mahabharat, Ramayan, and He-man and there were a host of other TV shows we were crazy for like Vikram-Betal, Spiderman, Surbhi, Duck tales, Jungle Book and many more..

These were the golden days of our childhood and they seem like a dream today.. time changes so fast that we dont even realize we have passed one stage of our life and moved into the other.. And when I see the kids today who miss on all these aspects, I wish they could see our wonder days and wonder at the way we used to lead our innocent lives :)

The 'Quarter Life' crisis!

There comes a time in life when we start thinking about life and its meaning..

You stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like..

You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now!

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones..

What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you!

You look at your job and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are changing you job and realize that you would have to start at the bottom and that scares you!

Your opinions have gotten stronger.. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't..

One minute,you are insecure and then the next, pretty confident.. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward..

You get heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better!!

Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too(!) and cannot figure out why you're doing this because you know that you are not a bad person.

You want to settle down for good because now all of a sudden that becomes top priority.. You begin to think a companion for life is better than a hundred in the shack.

You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision.

You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

Welcome to the Quarter-life Crisis! We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. Sharing this with all my twenty-something friends.. Maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion :o)

Goodbye NM

Hey all i m finally an MBA!! The feeling is still to sink in though and I am trying to get adjusted to NOT getting up thinking which class I missed going to today ;o)

As an anodyne for the trauma of our symbolic rebirth into this world, there were a host of events at the end of our college life. We had 'Euphoria' which had plays screened for us, rock show by Indigo nation, 'Antakshri' and Marketing events, and of course the inevitable Farewell party :)

The party was at Enigma, the disc inside J. W. Mariott and we had the time of our life (having got drunk earlier!).. clicked a lot of pics with all the old buddies and one thing that I realized was that 'The class is really not a class!' (as Eric Segal said quite prophetically in his epic novel).

I mean we are not a brotherhood, or anything cohesive for that matter. In fact for most of my class mates, the time we spent here was a kind of truce, a cease-fire in the war for fame and power and in a few more days, the guns come out again. We would probably never meet as a class again. This was the beginning of the end.

And at the farewell, we met just once more to say our goodbyes. May all the wonderful people I met here have a great future ahead.. and for the 'less' wonderful ones, may you get the maturity and wisdom to understand whats right and whats not in ur lives ahead. 

However, I got the opportunity to meet some really nice people and forge deep bonds with them and I'm grateful to God for having given all these people and experiences to me :)
Keep rocking guyzz!

A Punjabi Wedding!

Punjabis are known all over India as large-hearted cheerful people who live their life joyously and vigorously. We people believe in enjoying every single moment of our lives. No doubt then that our marriage ceremonies are one big carnival of gaiety and jubilation :)

It was my sister's wedding recently and the whole week of festivities made me ponder about the significance of these rituals.. Some I knew and others I had to find out.. Marriages are elaborate affairs for us and we follow the usual Hindu marriage rites like those of Pheras and Kanyadan. Other merry-making rituals like Ladies Sangeet and Juta Chupai (which by the way, got immense popularity after Hum Aapke Hain Kaun) also abound :)

Once the match has been decided between a boy and a girl, the galore of ceremonies begins. A date is fixed for the 'Roka' ceremony which is sort of a formal announcement that the match has been finalized. An auspicious time is fixed by a pundit ji and the families of both sides, assemble at the girl's house or at some neutral venue. Roka signifies that the boy and the girl are affianced to each other and an auspicious day for the marriage is generally fixed after the ceremony is over.

After Roka, the next important ceremony is called 'Shagan' which is the confirmation of the Engagement. The idea is to have all the relatives of both the sides who could not attend the Roka ceremony present at the same place so that they can interact with each other. Shagan generally takes place at the boy's house or as nowadays at some venue outside.

On this occasion, the girl's family applies tikka or tilak on the boy's forehead and shower him with gifts and blessings. The groom's family similarly returns the favor by gifting the bride-to-be's family members especially the brothers.

Shagan has the 'Sangeet' following close on its heel. This is one enviable feature of Punjabi wedding that has all the relatives and friends of the family rejoicing and joining to add color to the occasion.

All are invited in these evenings of jubilation, irrespective of age and gender. But the songs and dances typically center around the to be bride. The lyrics describe the ordeals of the newly married girl at her 'Sasural'. Also hot on the sangeet program are the ballads of love by Waris Shah.

Next significant ceremony is the 'Chooda' or the bangles' ceremony. The girl's maternal uncle (Mama) gifs the wedding dress to the bride and adorn her wrists with red and white bangles. On these bangles are tied the 'Kalira' - light ornaments of beaten silver and gold, which makes it impossible for the bride to perform any household task, as the kaliras get in the way. After the Chooda ceremony, Mehndi (Henna) is applied on the girl's hands and feet and it is customary that the boy's family sends the Mehndi.

And now, the stage is (literally) set for the D Day :)

On the wedding day, the bride-to-be is applied Vatna (mixture of turmeric powder and mustard oil). Friends and relatives also put vatna to each other's bodies in fun and frivolity. The Uptan (application) is believed to purify the girl. The boy at his place is also applied a mixture of turmeric and oil by his sisters and bhabhis.

The groom comes riding a mare with his friends and relatives accompanying him in a procession called the Baraat. The Ladkewale or boy's family reach the bride's house or the wedding venue amidst a lot of gaiety and excitement performing Bhangra dances all the way :) 

Once the procession arrives at the venue, the sisters of the bride-to-be demand gifts from the groom in order to let him and his family pass! There's a lot of fun and frolic associated with this ceremony as well where the groom-to-be has to cough up some nice amount in order to bribe his sisters-in-law to let him enter the Pandal.

When the groom is seated, the bride arrives on the dias and they exchange garlands to mark the first step in the marriage ceremony. This is the 'Jaimala' ceremony. Here too, both sides try to outscore the other and amongst a lot of masti, make it difficult for the other party to complete the ceremony :P

The time for the 'Phere' or the actual wedding comes late in the evening. On this occasion, the boy and the girl are made to sit in front of the Sacred Fire. The groom's sister ties the bride's sari to the boy's pagdi (turban).

The bride's Chunni has at one of its end a small knot containing meva, chuara, mishri, badam and silver coin. The couple takes seven vows towards each other and circum-ambulates the Holy fire with each vow.

Towards the end of the ceremony, the groom ties a necklace of black beads (Mangalsutra) around the neck of the bride and fills her hair-parting with red vermilion (Sindoor). This marks the culmination of the Vedic ceremony and the officiating priest then declares them man and wife.

At the time of phere, groom's sister-in-laws hide away his shoes in a ritual called 'Joota Chhupai'. They ask the boy for money in exchange for the shoes and the groom's side has to pay up to take the bride home ;o)

'Doli' is the last of all the ceremonies. It marks the farewell to the bride. So, the lights stand glimmering as the crying relatives of the daughter of the house goes on to her new home.

Custom has it that just at the time of departure of the doli, the bride is supposed to hit with her kaliras one of the brother or sister who stand bidding tearful farewell to her. The one to be so hit is supposed to get wedded next. The brothers of the bride generally accompany their sister to her new home to make sure she is welcomed well and does not feel lonely in the new place.

For the final ceremony called 'Pag-phera', the bride returns to her paternal home with her husband next day. This is a chance for the bride's family to get to know their groom well and make their daughter more comfortable. The couple is then given sweets and gifts.

All in all it is a happy and joyous affair and a chance for all the family members to get together. I thoroughly enjoyed the wedding despite all the work that goes into organizing one!! And a special thanx to alllll my super friends without whose help it wouldn't have been possible to run such a smooth show! U all guys rock :o)

Hope to see the weddings of all of you soon too ;o)

Nostalgia for Nair

I wish that I could turn back time
to those days of yore and glee,
and wander down those hallowed halls,

together, you and me.

How sweet it would be to once again
see all your faces there,
and skip along the corridors
where youth was free of care.

I'd love to feel the ambiance
of days that are no more,
where tender hopes were plentiful
and dreams were meant to soar.

I'd like to see your cheerful smiles
that brightened like the sun,
and feel the rush of eagerness
for journeys just begun.

But oh, alas, those days are gone;I can't go back to see
those teen-aged classmates of mine,
except in memory.

How long the road has wound since then,
how far I've had to roam,
but the glorious days I shared with you
will always whisper home.

Perhaps the roads you've taken too,
have led both far and near,
but I suspect that in your hearts
those nostalgic days are dear.

So take my hand and we will ride
the winds of memory
back to the time when we were young
and full of joy and glee.

-Ruth Gilis

Was in my alma mater T.N. Medical College today to attend the convocation of the last junior batch in college I know.. after this batch i am officially a 'stranger' in the college ;) Seeing the ecstatic faces of all the people present there made me nostalgic and brought me back to our own times at Nair..

We joined Nair not knowing what lay in store for us.. we entered its hallowed halls with fear in our heart, anxiety in our minds and expectation in our eyes.. some had come here after traveling a thousand miles and some just a few kilometers.. yet, as Erich Segal says in 'The Class', we all knew that we were merely at the beginning of the greatest journey of our life..

As we discovered the joys of staying away from home (read night-outs, bunking classes, trips to lonavala, painting the town red etc.) over the years we also realized the true value of home (read good home-cooked food, not having to wash own clothes, getting up by mom's cajoling and not a shrill alarm clock etc.!!)

 

In more ways than one, our stay at Nair converted us into men and women of caliber and strength.. it made doctors out of us laymen and gave us the direction in life we were to follow.

While roaming around the campus, I remembered all the places where we used to spend time together.. the old canteen where we used to invariably be the rowdiest table, the place near the CT scan building which used to be so quiet before they shifted the canteen there(!), the OPD steps where they have now developed a small garden..

The library and the L-shaped corridor in front of it where we just used to sprawl and pretend to study the whole day, fifth floor platform near the steps, the formalin-reeking anatomy dissection hall, the practical labs, the place near nurses quarters where we used to sit and chat for hours together and later during internship, the wards and labs which were our eternal haunts..

When we held our oaths on the convocation day, it was as if we held the world in our hands!! It was the day of accomplishment, a day of feeling proud, a day for making our parents proud.. Our entire life stretched in front of us and we could do with it as we pleased.. God! how naive we were..

As I saw the same gamut of emotions reflected in the eyes of our juniors, my heart was filled with some fond remembrances and some bittersweet memories.. like us, they were eager to leave the cozy, amniotic safety of Nair and dive into the shark-infested waters of the real world..

And as they take the plunge, I wish life is generous to them and gives them many more fond memories to cherish in the coming years, as it has so graciously given to all of us.. we may have not been brought up in the labyrinths of Nair but it is this place which made us who we are today and shaped our futures for us..

And even though i could never fathom the meaning or translation of this cryptic phrase, I have to end this post by saying out loud.. Yalakapad narakapad haiyo haiyo :)